[ effect of short-term use of chamomile essence on muscle soreness in young girls after an exhaustive exercise]

Background: intensive physical activity can lead to muscle soreness

Objective: evaluate the effect of short-term use of of chamomile essence [CE] on muscle soreness in young girls after an exhaustive exercise

Methods: twenty young girls volunteered. They were randomly assigned into two equal groups of experimental and control. The experimental group drank 300 ml of CE twice daily for twelve days. The control group drank water and the chamomile essential oil as placebo during this period. In the eleventh day, exhaustive exercise on a treadmill with a negative slope of 5 degrees for all subjects was conducted. Blood samples were taken on the first and tenth days before the exhaustive exercise, and 1, 24 and 48 hours after exercise. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVA for repeated measure with a significant level of P<0.05

Results: no significant difference was detected between the two groups in the index of serum creatine kinase. Lactate dehydrogenase index in 1 and 48 hours after the test in the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with the control group. Aspartate amino transferase index in the experimental group increased 24 hours after the exercise, and decreased after 48 hours of the exhaustive exercise compared to the control group. Pain scale in the experimental group was reduced 1 and 24 hours after the test compared with the control group

Conclusion: the results suggested that young girls who want to do exhaustive exercises can drink CE to prevent or reduce the effects of muscle soreness

[Effect of selected trainings on muscle function and body composition in girls with mental retardation]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of selected trainings on muscle function in girls with mental retardation. Twenty-three girls with mental retardation [IQ 50-70] were selected and randomly divided into the control [n=10] and experimental [n=13] groups. The experimental group participated in selected trainings for 1 month, 4 sessions a week, with an intensity of 60-80% of maximum heart rate. Before and after the training program, muscle function including static balance, dynamic balance, muscle force and fatigue index, along with the body composition parameters of the participants were recorded. Data were analyzed using independent t and ANCOVA tests [alpha<0.05]. Results showed that selected trainings significantly increased static balance during open and closed eyes; however, it did not have a significant effect on dynamic balance, muscle force, muscle fatigue index, and body composition. Girls with mental retardation may apply the selected training to improve their static balance and delay fatigue; however, more studies are required to assess the effect of these kind of trainings on the other muscle function indices and body composition

effect of one-session moderate and heavy resistance exercise on the appetite, glycerol, serum glucose and lactate in healthy men

Background and Purpose: Appetite is one of the factors affecting the energy intake equation and has different control and regulatory levels. One of the probable factors affecting it is physical activity. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of moderate and heavy resistance exercise on appetite, glucose, glycerol and lactate of the serum in healthy men

Methods and Materials: In this experimental study, out of the university employees, 13 male volunteers were recruited for the study by their own written informed consent, and were assigned into three modes of control, moderate resistance exercise [with intensity of 70% of 1RM] and heavy resistance exercise [with intensity of 80% of 1RM] groups. The process consisted of 8 different movements arranged in 3 sets with 10 repetitions within 90 minutes. The participants' appetite parameter was recorded by appetite questionnaire before collecting blood samples. Data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS 13 at a significance level of P<0/05

Results: After correcting the results of plasma volume, no significant changes were observed in the appetite, glycerol and glucose of the serum As caused by moderate and heavy resistance exercise. Appetite decreased immediately after the exercise protocol by 33%, but increased 3 hours after the exercise by 12%, and finally decreased 9-hours after exercise by 26% compared to pre-exercise levels [P<0.05]

Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that a one-session moderate and heavy resistance exercise has no significant effect on the appetite if food deprivation and significant negative energy balance do not exist

[Comparison of adiponectin and leptin levels in obese children and adolescents]

Leptin, a protein with a cytokine-like helical structure and molecular weight of 16 KDa, regulates the body weight and homeostasis of the energy in the body. Adiponectin has protective and special metabolic effects as well as anti-inflammatory ones, and the adiponectin level in human blood has an inverse ratio relation with the insulin resistance. The purpose of this study was to compare levels of leptin and adiponectin, and related hormones in the serum of obese children and adolescents. Sixty obese subjects were divided into two groups of 30 children and 30 adolescents. Anthropometric characteristics were recorded and adiponectin and leptin testosterone, growth, insulin, and cortisol hormones were measured in a fasting state in all subjects. The serum levels of leptin [101%], adiponectin [98%] and cortisol hormone [38.62%] were significantly higher in children than in adolescents [p<0/05]. When leptin and adiponectin were adjusted to body fat mass, the same results were observed. Serum levels of testosterone [82.58%], insulin [34.47%] and growth hormone[36.36%] were significantly higher in adolescents than in children [p<0/05]. The ratio of leptin to adiponectin had no significant difference among children and adolescents. Levels of leptin and adiponectin are higher in children than in adolescents

effect of resistance training on C- reactive protein [CRP] in obese men

C-reactive protein is a sensitive, nonspecific marker of inflammation and its relationship with coronary vascular disease is already established. The present research was conducted to study the effect of resistance training on the rate of C-reactive protein in obese men. The present study was quasi-experimental and 24 male subjects [16 obese, 8 lean] with age range of 35 to 48 years voluntarily participated in the study. Obese men were randomly assigned into two groups: resistance training and control group. The third group included the lean men subjects. Fasting blood samples were taken from all subjects. The experimental subjects received resistance training for 13 weeks, 3 sessions per week. The resistance training was done in circuit fashion in 11 stations with a 50 to 60% intensity of one maximum repetition [IRM]. Resistance training significantly decreased the serum CRP levels of the obese men [from 1 .65 +/- 0.6 to 0.53 +/- 0.73]. In addition, serum CRP concentrations in obese men at baseline state were significantly higher than those in lean men [1.56 +/- 0.58 versus 0.26 +/- 0.21]. In all subjects there was a significant and positive correlation between serum CRP levels and obesity markers [r=0.75] and different components of the metabolic syndrome. Resistance training due to antinflammatory effects is likely to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events in obese men